How to plant Celosia cristata
This article introduces how to plant Celosia cristata and its cultivation methods in the field of green plants and flowers. Let's learn about it together.
Celosia cristata is an annual herbaceous plant of the Amaranthaceae family, also known as globe amaranth,百日红 (bai ri hong), and 千日草 (qian ri cao). It is used for ornamental purposes, with the capitulum remaining unchanged for a long time. In addition to being used in flower beds and potted landscapes, it can also be used as decorations such as wreaths and flower baskets.
Native to the tropical Americas, Celosia cristata thrives in sunny, hot, and dry conditions, prefers loose and fertile soil, and is not picky about environmental conditions. It is robust but not cold-tolerant and will die upon encountering frost.
It is an annual erect herb, 20-60 cm tall, with thick stems, branched, slightly tetragonal branches, covered with grayish糙毛 (糙毛 refers to rough hair), denser when young, slightly swollen at the nodes. The leaves are papery, oblong or oblong-obovate, 3.5-13 cm long, 1.5-5 cm wide, with an acute or rounded apex, convex tip, narrowed base, wavy margins, and small spots on both sides, white villi and margin hair. The petiole is 1-1.5 cm long, with grayish long villi. The flowering period is from July to October.
I. Propagation Methods: There are two methods of propagation for Celosia cristata: seeding and cutting.
Seeding is simple. Generally, seeds are collected from September to October and sown from April to May the following year, with planting in June. Sowing can be done from April to May each year for seedling transplantation. If seeding in a greenhouse or a warm indoor area with pots, it can be done as early as February. Before sowing, the seeds should be treated because Celosia cristata seeds are fragile fruits with floral envelopes and hair. Soaking the seeds in cold water for 1-2 days before sowing can significantly improve the germination rate. The common sowing methods include drill sowing, furrow broadcasting, or bed surface broadcasting. After sowing, cover the soil so that the seeds are not visible, and use straw or plastic film to keep the soil moist. Generally, it can germinate in 8-10 days. Once about 10% of the seedlings have emerged, the covering material should be removed promptly, and thinning should be carried out by removing weak, leggy, and mixed seedlings. Maintain good ventilation and sufficient sunlight to allow the red Celosia seedlings to grow rapidly.
Cutting propagation can be done from May to August using tender branches in the courtyard or pots. After cutting, shade the area and keep the soil moist. It can take root in 20-25 days, and it can bloom 1-2 months after transplanting.
II. Transplanting: Celosia cristata seedlings can be transplanted into pots or around the courtyard when they have 3-4 pairs of true leaves. If planted in a continuous area, the spacing should be about 33 cm to avoid overcrowding, which can affect ventilation and lead to severe powdery mildew later on.
III. Water and Fertilizer Management: After transplanting young seedlings, water frequently to keep the soil moist. During the growing period, it does not like excessive water. If excessive watering occurs, it can lead to yellowing and falling leaves. Watering should be thorough and penetrate the soil to benefit root growth. When the plant is growing vigorously, increase the watering and apply 1-2 liquid fertilizers, commonly using diluted decomposed human manure, decomposed cake fertilizer, and other fertilizers. It can also use dried cow or pig manure mixed with cake fertilizer powder and a small amount of ammonium sulfate or urea, scattered in the rows for weeding and mixing with the soil.
IV. Daily Management: To promote a low stature, increase branching, and flower quantity, several topping and pruning should be carried out during the seedling stage. During the rainy season, pay attention to drainage, frequently till the soil to remove weeds, keep the soil loose, reduce moisture evaporation, and promote air circulation, which is an important task to ensure the rapid and robust growth of Celosia cristata seedlings.
The above is the complete content on how to plant Celosia cristata and its cultivation methods, which green plant enthusiasts can refer to for reference.